After a long winter, rhubarb is now in season. Is there a way to use this first sign of the growing season in a cocktail?
You ask a very worrisome question. I'm sure you're aware that rhubarb leaves are poisonous, so before we start talking about anything else, we need to start with a disclaimer; trim leaves from your rhubarb stalks as soon as you harvest them, dispose of the leaves immediately, and wash the stalks, your hands, and your tools thoroughly.
Now that that's taken care of...
Rhubarb stalks are going to act a lot like celery would act in a
Posts Tagged ‘brandy’
Brandy Champerelle
by Dennis Mayer on April 27th, 2012 | Budget-Friendly Wine Review, Liquor, Mixed Drinks
I'm always suspicious of trends, and one of the biggest trends in mixology these days is to turn back to the past and resurrect old recipes and ingredients. This isn't the worst trend to follow, but it can be a mixed bag. I've written before about how I think brandy is due for a huge resurgence as a primary cocktail ingredient, and while I'm not sure you ever need more than one bottle of bitters on your bar, I love that there are an expanding number of options to choose from. On a less exciting note, there's maraschino liqueur,
E&J: These Easy Jeans are Very Special
by Jason Lightner on March 13th, 2012 | LiquorAfter having sampled some cognac a few weeks ago, I decided it was time to up my game and give brandy another go. Dennis Mayer had an excellent writeup on the topic last month that you should definitely check out.
This particular tasting occurred in an old shoebox apartment, amongst friends who were much more friends-of-a-friend-of-a-friend than anything else. Honestly, why and how I get myself into these situations, I'll never know – or rather, remember, but I do find them to be good ideas at the time. To be fair to the brandy, the environment in which
The Pale Gold of Hennessy Black
by Jason Lightner on February 29th, 2012 | Liquor
A few weeks ago I had an opportunity to get a bit outside my areas of expertise, so I did what any self-respecting person would do and jumped right in. I've heard this may not be the correct way to have done it. At any rate, my adventure landed me smack-dab between several mustached gentlemen and a small glass of Hennessy Black.
Before we begin, I feel it's necessary to record exactly what Hennessy is and the nature of the spirit. Hennessy is cognac – a variety of brandy produced in the Cognac region of France
Before we begin, I feel it's necessary to record exactly what Hennessy is and the nature of the spirit. Hennessy is cognac – a variety of brandy produced in the Cognac region of France
Saratoga
by Dennis Mayer on February 24th, 2012 | Cocktails, Mixed Drinks
We certainly are having a strange winter in New England -- what, with 50-degree days, trees and flowers hesitantly blooming, and not a snowdrift in sight.
What to drink, then? It's a continual problem I've mentioned more than once -- but once again, I think I've found a decent solution that balances the needs of winter and spring. A good gateway drink between the season we're leaving (or, at least, the one we were supposed to be experiencing) and the one we're approaching. I found this drink in Jerry Thomas's bartending guide, published in 1887. It's fairly simple, yet bracingly
What to drink, then? It's a continual problem I've mentioned more than once -- but once again, I think I've found a decent solution that balances the needs of winter and spring. A good gateway drink between the season we're leaving (or, at least, the one we were supposed to be experiencing) and the one we're approaching. I found this drink in Jerry Thomas's bartending guide, published in 1887. It's fairly simple, yet bracingly
